Blue Star Fern (Phlebodium aureum) – Indoor Fern (17cm Pot)

An indoor fern with wavy, blue green fronds and a furry golden rhizome that creeps across the surface of the compost.

Phlebodium aureum grows to around 30 to 60cm each way, arching as the fronds mature, and it is one of the few ferns that copes with ordinary room air rather than sulking without constant misting. It suits a shelf, a hanging planter or a humid bathroom or kitchen, and it takes bright indirect light through to a fairly low lit corner.

It is an epiphyte, so it wants an open, airy, bark based mix rather than ordinary compost, and the golden rhizome must be left sitting on the surface and never buried. Keep the compost lightly moist but never soggy, and never leave the roots standing in water. The blue bloom on the fronds is a waxy coating, so do not use leaf shine and do not wipe the leaves. This is a tender indoor plant only. It will not take frost or temperatures below about 10C and must never be planted out in the garden.

Cultural Information

• Common Name: Blue star fern
• Fully Grown Height and Spread: 30 to 60cm by 30 to 60cm
• Growth Habit: Spreading and clump forming, with arching fronds
• Perfect For: Shelves, hanging planters, bathrooms and kitchens
• Foliage: Wavy, deeply lobed, blue green with a silvery sheen, evergreen
• Planting Position: Bright indirect light through to low light indoors
• Soil Type: Open, free draining, bark based epiphytic mix
• Hardiness: Tender. Indoors only, and never below about 10C
• Maintenance: Keep lightly moist, feed monthly in spring and summer, remove tired fronds at the base
• Type: Indoor fern